Artifact Conservation Project Underway

The conservation labs at Harpers Ferry Center have begun the process of conserving over 150 artifacts for placement in exhibits in the park’s visitor center. The newly conserved objects will allow the park to remove sensitive artifacts and allow them to “rest” after four years of being on display.

The Gettysburg Foundation is donating $300,000 to this project as part of its ongoing commitment to the park and the NPS. The installation of the new exhibits is planned for the late summer or early fall.

Pictured above is object GETT 44649 after conservation. New York civilian John Righter wrote of hearing of Abraham Lincoln's assassination in this pocket diary in April of 1865, providing a glimpse into the thoughts of the average northern civilian on this tragic event.

When donated to the park, the diary had a partially detached spine, tears to the pages, and accumulated surface dirt – all common to books from this time period. In order to make the object safe and ready for exhibit, NPS conservators reattached the binding threads, mended the page tears with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste, and reinforced the covers to prevent further damage in the future.

To learn more, visit "From the Fields of Gettysburg," the official blog of Gettysburg National Military Park, at the link below.